White Koi - The Classic Symbol of Elegance

Nothing epitomizes sublime beauty quite like the White Koi. Valued for its purity in form & color, the Platinum Ogon, as it is more commonly referred to amongst enthusiasts, has turned out to be somewhat of a "standard" for many koi ponds the world over. This popularity is due partly to the fact that they are able to grow rapidly and are surprisingly easy to see in the cloudy water of poorly filtered ponds. They stand out superbly against the multitude of colors of other koi varieties.

During the earliest days of breeding and cross-breeding Koi in Japan, there were in general only one or two colors on hand, so, as Koi breeding gained popularity around the world, the range and diversity of colors and characteristics improved tremendously. Today there is an ever-growing assortment of color and pattern combinations available, ranging from red, black, white, green, blue and yellow.

To totally appreciate the different varieties of Koi Fish, one needs to gain a comprehension of the various classifications that each group falls into. Each class has standards to ascertain which group they belong to, but generally speaking, each group has a particular level of acceptable diversity.

White koi first appeared back in 1963, most likely from cross-breeding Kigoi (lemon non-metallic) with the grayish-silver (metallic) Nezu Ogon.

When learning about Koi varieties, it's interesting to note a particular point of difference. Each variety commonly has a Doitsu (scale-less) variety and a Gin Rin (sparkly) scaled version.

Most Platinum Ogon are bred with the Gin Rin scales to make them appear shinier. Gin Rin scales have a pigmented reflective luster that produces a glimmering effect much like that of cut diamonds. To qualify as a Gin Rin, a Koi must have not less than 20 scales which is the acceptable minimum prerequisite.

Ogon refers to koi of one solid color. Whilst known colors include red, orange, platinum, yellow and cream, the two most popular colors are the Platinum Ogon (white) and the Yamabuki Ogon (yellow). A desirable attribute of the Ogon are sizeable fins because they offset the single color body. The color of any Ogon must be consistent right through the body of the fish.

A further interesting point is that as the majority of the fish's pigment is on the top section of the fish, the light is able to reflect off their backs, highlighting their bright and beautiful color combinations. For this reason, Koi are generally best seen from above, as in a pond.

Although all koi are classified as Cyprinus carpio, selective breeding and cross-breeding has resulted in many varieties of koi, each based on varying degrees of scalation, color, and patterning.

As a preliminary guide for the amateur Koi devotee, it is perhaps useful to provide a few words in the Japanese Koi vocabulary to make the task of comprehending Koi Classification a little less overwhelming. An illustration of how this Japanese terminology works is shown in the following example variations:

Aka Bekko - A red Koi with black patches Shiro Bekko - A white Koi with black patches Ki Bekko - A yellow (ki) Koi with black patches Doitsu Bekko - This is a scale less version of the above

Japanese Terminology for Koi Classification:ai Indigo coloraka red - pertaining only to the base color of the fishbekko Solid base color (aka, ki or shiro) with black markings (sumi)beni dark red colorbudo Grape colorcha Brown colordoitsu German carp - either scale-less referred to as Leather Carp or having a line of large scales along the lateral and dorsal lines referred to as Mirror Carpgin silver (white metallic)ginrin pearl-silver reflective scaleshi red - pertaining only to the colored patches of the fishhikari shinykarasu old variety of black koi - means "Crow" in Japanese - black fins and jet black body - may have markings on bellyki Yellow - pertaining only to the base color of the fishkin gold (yellow metallic)kinrin pearl-gold reflective scaleskuchibeni lipstickmatsuba pine cone or net pattern effect to scalesmidori green colormono typemoyo type of patternmuji one colornezu gray colororenji orange colorrin shiny Scaleshiro White - pertaining only to the base color of the fishsumi black - pertaining only to the colored patches of the fishtancho a single strong red spot on the head onlyai Indigo coloraka red - pertaining only to the base color of the fish

Are you looking for a realistic, user-friendly way to Create & Maintain a Stunning to Suit your Budget, Time and Spaces? Get more tips and advice here today. While you are there, you can sign up for the Free Email Course on Complete Construction Tips and Koi Maintenance. This free step-by-step mini-course is designed to teach you all of the essentials on purchasing, identifying, keeping and breeding Koi fish, as well as planning, building and maintaining your Koi pond.

If you can take having feathers strewn all over the area you will be raising your ducks, little ducklings are great pets. They are cute and can survive in a variety of conditions. Of course, know-how on caring for ducks is still required here.

With the holidays right around the corner, it's the right time to start thinking about Christmas dog clothes for your pup. Don't take the chance of missing out on all the fun because you waited until the last minute to start shopping.

A prime trend nowadays is Angora goat farming which is considered a lucrative venture. White mohair could be sold up to twelve dollars a pound; colored mohair at ten to twenty five dollars a pound. The good mohair Angora goats produce are primarily used for knitwear and clothing.